Tufted perennials with erect culms, or rarely annuals. Leaf-blades linear, flat, usually narrowed at the base into a false petiole; ligule membranous or chartaceous, hairy on the back. Inflorescence an open or contracted panicle, the axis elongated and bearing whorled branches; branches long, filiform, flexuous, bare in the lower third to two-thirds, the racemes solitary at the ends of the branches or several on short filiform branchlets; raceme rhachis fragile or tough, bearing paired similar spikelets each supported on a pedicel. Spikelets lanceolate to linear-Lanceolate; callus very short, truncate, glabrous or shortly bearded; glumes equal, as long as the spikelet, thinly coriaceous, the nerves conspicuous, awned or awnless, the lower ± flattened on the back; lower floret reduced to an elliptic or broadly oblong hyaline lemma; upper floret bisexual; lemma lanceolate, hyaline, deeply bifed with a geniculate awn in the sinus; palea small; stamens 3. Caryopsis oblong lanceolate.

A genus of 9 species in subtropical Asia from Turkey and India to Thailand and japan; 1 species occurs in Pakistan.

Spodiopogon dubius Hack. Was reported by Hooker (Fl.Brit.Ind. 7: 108. 1896) as growing in Kashmir. There is no specimen at Kew so presumably this is an error.